Souness tells Robert ‘No Free Deal’

By European Football
May 18 2005

Newcastle boss Graham Souness has told Laurent Robert, that he will not be allowed to leave for free. Robert had made a cheeky attempt to cash in on his own laziness yesterday, by saying it would be best for all concerned to allow him to leave for free. But that has rightly been laughed off as Newcastle look to recoup some of the cash laid out for the talented, but frequently invisible winger.

"It is up to the chairman to decide how much he wants to sell Laurent Robert for, but what I will say is, if he wants to go for a free, does that mean nobody wants to buy him?" questioned Souness.

"I can`t say that his Newcastle career is over because there might not be a buyer for him.

"If he isn`t sold he will return for pre-season training like everybody else. It`s the same for Craig Bellamy and Hugo Viana. If they are not sold they will come back here for training."

"I can understand the fans being anxious to know when the transfer activity will begin," said Souness in the Newcastle Journal.

"But it isn`t just up to us. It`s about other clubs and their players as well.

"Work is already under way. We`ve already started to move for the players we want and it is a work in constant progress.

"I will not reveal who my intended targets are at this stage, but we`re trying our hardest to get them.

"I expect there will be a flurry of activity in the near future, a burst in the next few weeks, perhaps even in the next fortnight and then it will go quiet again while everybody goes on holiday.

"Then there will be another burst in late July and early August. I`ve said, in an ideal world, we`d be able to make all our signings before we start in the Intertoto Cup.

"Realistically, that might not be possible, but we are already taking steps towards making our first signings."

Bookmark or share this story with: